Lamp-ignitor means for percussive type multiflash device

ABSTRACT

The lamps of a percussive type multiflash unit are ignited by springs that have spiral-shaped medial portions and are held in cocked position by pin and stop means which are parts of the base component of the unit.

United States Patent 1191 Wacker Sept. 2, 1975 LAMP-IGNITOR MEANS FOR PERCUSSIVE [56] References Cited TYPE MULTlFLASl-l DEVICE UNITED STATES PATENTS InventorI Alfred Wacker, Friedberg; Germany 3,537,805 11 1970 Michatek 431 93 3,737,643 6/1973 Lukas et al. 431/93 [73] Ass'gnee' Westmghouse Elecmc corporamn 3,776,686 12/1973 Anderson et al. 431 93 P1ttsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: 1974 Primary Examiner--Carro1l B. Dority, Jr. [2]] AppL 433,956 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-D. S. Buleza [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT Feb. 8, 1973 Germany 7304837[U] The lamps of a percussive type multiflash unit are ignited by springs that have spiral-shaped medial por- [52] US. Cl 431/93; 431/93 tions and are held in cocked position by pin and stop [51] Int. Cl. F2lK 5/02 means which are parts of the base component of the [58] Field of Search 431/92, 93; 240/13; unit.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEP 2 15 3, 902,842

sum 2 of 2 LAMP-IGNITOR MEANS FOR PERCUSSIVE TYPE MULTIFLASH DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a multiflash device for photographic cameras and, more particularly, to an improved device of this type that contains mechanicallyignitable photoflash lamps.

2. Description of the Prior Art Multiflash units which contain a plurality of percussive type photoflash lamps are well known in the art. There is, for example, a unit presently being marketed that contains four such flashlamps and is known in the art as a magicube. Such units are of cubical configuration and comprise a transparent plastic cover that is fastened to a plastic plate or base member and contains four reflectors and a corresponding number of mechanieally-ignitable flashlamps. The flashlamps are mounted on the base member and have metal tubes which project from the respective lamps and contain a percussively-ignitable material. The base member has four openings through which suitable trigger means on the camera extend to effect the release of prestressed springs that are also secured to the base member. When these springs are released they strike the ignitor tubes of the associated flashlamps and actuate the percussive material which, in turn, fires the lamps.

A magicube flash unit having the aforementioned features is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,537,805 issued Nov. 3, 1970 to C. W. Michatek.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a simple but very reliable spring and spring-holder assembly for igniting the percussive lamps of such multiflash units. In accordance with the invention, the springs are of spiral configuration and are seated in the four corners of the base member on pins that protrude from the base member and are surrounded by recesses which accommodate the springs. One arm of each spring is held in a groove provided in the base member that ends in the associated recess and the other arm of the respective springs serves as the striker arm and it is held in prestressed position by a metal disk that is secured to another set of pins provided on the base member. The striker arm, when released by the trigger means of'the camera, flips from its prestressed position into its rest position thereby striking the ignitor tube of the associated flashlamp sideways and tiring the lamp in a very positive and reliable manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the exemplary embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multiflash unit according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of the base component and the spring assembly employed in the multiflash unit shown in FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the base member and spring assembly taken along line A-B of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A multiflash unit 16 according to the invention is :shown in FIG. 1. As illustrated, the unit is of cubical shape and comprises a transparent protective cover 1 I which enclosesa member 2 that defines four reflectors and is seated on a base member 3. The protective cover I and basemember 3 are fabricated from suitable plastic and are joined together along their edges. Four mechanicalIy-ignitable flashlamps 4 are mounted on the base member 3 and the latter has a jack holder 5 which is designed to engage and interlock with a suitable socket on the camera and hold the unit 16 in proper position.

The base member 3 is square-shaped and is preferably made by injection molding the plastic to provide the structural features depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. As will be noted in FIG. 2, the base member 3 has four blind holes 6 that are located in four cams 7 which are used to support the ignitor tubes (not shown) of the respective flashlamps 4. These tubes are inserted into the holes 6 so that the flashlamps are held in upstanding spaced position on the base member 3 in the usual manner. The base member 3 has four openings 8 which define spaced passageways that permit entry of the trigger means of the camera on which the flash unit 16 is mounted. Pins 9 that are each surrounded by a recess 11 are integrally molded with the respective corners of the base member 3 and a spiral wire spring 10 is seated on each of these pins. The spiral medial portion of the springs 10 consist of several turns the diameter of which is adapted to the diameter of the pins 9. Each spring has two laterally-extending arms 10' and 10 of approximately the same length which are slightly bent at the points where they join the spring turns. Arm l0 constitutes the striker arm that ignites the percussive material which is contained in the hollow metal tubes of the respective flashlamps 4. As shown in FIG. 3, the recesses 11 are of such depth and shape that they accommodate the spiral medial portions of the wire springs 10.

The arms 10" of the respective springs 10 are held in grooves 11 which extend along the edges 12 of the base member 3 and end in the respective recesses 11. In order to prevent the arms 10 from sliding out of the grooves 11' the borders of the grooves are provided with pinches 15 (see FIG. 2) which close the respective grooves and lock the arms 10' in place.

The striker arms 10' of the four springs 10 are each held in prestressed or cocked position by metal disks 13 that are seated on a second set of four pins 14 provided on the base member 3. The portions of the pins 14 which project beyond the metal disks 13 can be welded or flat-pressed to lock the disks in place.

The striker arms 10 abut the side walls of the metal disks 13 in prestressed position (as shown in FIG. 2) and the thickness of disks is adapted to the diameter of the spring wire. The disks 13 thus serve as stop means for the striker arms 10 which hold them in the proper position for hitting the respective ignitor tubes and firing the associated flashlamps 4. The two springs 10 located in the uppermost half of the base member 3 (as viewed in FIG. 2) are shown in their prestressed or cocked condition and the remaining two springs are shown in their unstressed or released positions.

Ignition of the flashlamps 4 is achieved when the trigger means of the camera is actuated and passes through the opening 8 associated with the flashlamp 4 which is to be ignited and engages the striker arm 10' of the spring 10 which is associated with that flashlamp. The

trigger means moves the striker arm until it is released and flips into its rest position by sliding over the top of the associated metal disk 13. When this occurs, the striker arm 10' hits the exposed part of metal tube of the associated flashlamp that is seated in the blind hole 6 and ignites the percussive material in the tube which, in turn, ignites the combustible material in the flashlamp and produces the desired flash of light.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a multiflash device that includes a plurality of mechanieally-ignitable flashlamps which are each terminated at one end by a hollow metal tube that contains percussively-ignitable material, an improved means for igniting said flashlamps comprising the combination of;

a unitary base member of plastic material that has a plurality of holes therein, the hollow tubes of said flashlamps being seated in said holes and the latter being so disposed that the flashlamps are held in upstanding predetermined spaced relationship on said base member,

a plurality of wire springs mounted on said base member in paired adjacent relationship with the respective flashlamps, each of said springs having a spiral medial portion that is seated on a pin that projects from the base member and the ends of said springs extending laterally and constituting a pair of substantially straight arms,

one arm of each of said springs being retained in a groove defined by said base member and the other arm of each of said springs constituting a striker arm that is held in prestressed cocked condition by a stop means which is secured to the plastic base member and is located adjacent an exposed part of the ignitor tube of the associated flashlamp,

each of said stop means comprising a metal member of disk-like configuration that is seated on a pin that is anchored to said base member, said metal stop members being of such height and being so oriented relative to the associated spring and flashlamp that the striker arm, when moved upwardly, is released from its cocked position and slides over the associated stop member and hits the exposed part of the hollow tube of the adjacent flashlamp with sufficient force to ignite the percussive material within said tube.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein;

said multiflash device contains four flashlamps and is of generally cubical configuration,

said plastic base member is substantially square shaped, and

the spiral medial portions of the respective springs are disposed at the corners of the base member within inwardly-extending recesses defined by the surrounding parts of the base member.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said plastic base member comprises an injection-molded component and the spiral medial portions of said springs are seated on pins that constitute integrally-molded parts of said base member.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein;

the cocked striker arms of said springs are accessible from the outside of the device through a series of spaced openings in the base member,

said grooves extend along the side edges of said base member,

the arms of the springs that are disposed in said grooves are locked therein by pinched segments of the plastic base member that close the associated portions of said grooves, and

each of said disk-like metal stop members are so disposed that the striker arms of the associated springs are in pressured engagement with the arcuate peripheries of said stop members when said striker arms are in cocked condition.

i =l =k UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3,902, 8H2 DATED September 2, 1975 INVENTOR(S) Alfred Waoker It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the front data page, item [73] "Assignee" should read as follows:

Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fur Elektrische Gluhlampen m.b.H.,

Munich, Germany Signed and Sealed this sixth D y of January 1976 [SEAL] AtleSt.

RUTH C. MASON Arresting Officer C, MARSHALL DANN Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks 

1. In a multiflash device that includes a plurality of mechanically-ignitable flashlamps which are each terminated at one end by a hollow metal tube that contains percusSivelyignitable material, an improved means for igniting said flashlamps comprising the combination of; a unitary base member of plastic material that has a plurality of holes therein, the hollow tubes of said flashlamps being seated in said holes and the latter being so disposed that the flashlamps are held in upstanding predetermined spaced relationship on said base member, a plurality of wire springs mounted on said base member in paired adjacent relationship with the respective flashlamps, each of said springs having a spiral medial portion that is seated on a pin that projects from the base member and the ends of said springs extending laterally and constituting a pair of substantially straight arms, one arm of each of said springs being retained in a groove defined by said base member and the other arm of each of said springs constituting a striker arm that is held in prestressed cocked condition by a stop means which is secured to the plastic base member and is located adjacent an exposed part of the ignitor tube of the associated flashlamp, each of said stop means comprising a metal member of disk-like configuration that is seated on a pin that is anchored to said base member, said metal stop members being of such height and being so oriented relative to the associated spring and flashlamp that the striker arm, when moved upwardly, is released from its cocked position and slides over the associated stop member and hits the exposed part of the hollow tube of the adjacent flashlamp with sufficient force to ignite the percussive material within said tube.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein; said multiflash device contains four flashlamps and is of generally cubical configuration, said plastic base member is substantially square shaped, and the spiral medial portions of the respective springs are disposed at the corners of the base member within inwardly-extending recesses defined by the surrounding parts of the base member.
 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said plastic base member comprises an injection-molded component and the spiral medial portions of said springs are seated on pins that constitute integrally-molded parts of said base member.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein; the cocked striker arms of said springs are accessible from the outside of the device through a series of spaced openings in the base member, said grooves extend along the side edges of said base member, the arms of the springs that are disposed in said grooves are locked therein by pinched segments of the plastic base member that close the associated portions of said grooves, and each of said disk-like metal stop members are so disposed that the striker arms of the associated springs are in pressured engagement with the arcuate peripheries of said stop members when said striker arms are in cocked condition. 